Global perspective of an Irish expat travel hacker with a serious case of wanderlust who has visted 60+ countries while living on 5 continents. My passion is travel. WARNING! - may contain foul language, nudity and Irish humour!

Tuesday, 12 August 2008

I'm somewhat of a minimalist as far as personal belongings are concerned. I'm a bit of a nomad so you have to learn not to get too attached to things because you might not be able to take them with you when you move on.

Her indoors comes from a different school of thought. She has every colour, material, texture and variety of handbag imaginable (50+ at last stock take by PricewaterhouseCoopers).

Bath robes - Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring - 2 of each and a few to spare just in case.

Outdated well worn denim jean jacket from twenty years ago - check - got it - will never wear it again but you never know and it has sentimental value - Ditto to the other 6 chests of antique clothes that haven't seen the light of day for 20 years.

Multiple bulky photo albums (thousands of pictures) - even though all photos have been scanned to digital??? - yep - got them in triplicate.

Books - Read it but might read it again - Never read it and likely won't but it has a nice cover so maybe someday - Might need it for work so can't chuck it - Will never read it but it might look nice as a coffee table book if / when we buy a coffee table - yep got them all!

I've done a spring clean every year all my life - I ditch clothes, books, electronics to charity. I was just taught to shed the crap at an early age and I'm so glad - it just feels satisfying offloading crap. So I'm curious - Do you hoard or do you shed?

Tags: men are from mars women are from venus, shopping, lots of clothes shoes, handbags.

By nature I am a hoarded but I had a bit of a nomadic existence at one stage, so I tend not to hoard too much. Books are the one thing I find it hard to part with. My wife and kids though, good sweet Christ they'd hoard each breath they took if they could. And the missus likes buying stuff (especially if it is X% off).

I am a tosser . . perhaps enough said. I hate shopping, I have 2 handbags (well one is really a small day pack) I have 4 pairs of shoes and quite a few pairs of rubber thongs (you know what I mean) If it hasn't been worn in 2 years, it goes to the Smith Family . . . I'm a crap reader except on holidays or planes and my only 'toy' is not quite ready for stuffing -it's still alive retrieves sticks and is my constant furry companion. I think they may have broken the female mold when they made me! (My progeny however, hoard EVERYTHING) Shits me to tears! As my Grandad used to say "Ye cannot take it wi ye wen ye go!"

@ Thrifty: It's funny how a label with 50% off sends 'them' into a tizzy. My missus tries to convince me she's actually saved me money but then produces 2 of the same thing - "but they were half price!"

@ Baino: We need to clone your genes and start female evolution all over again!

I purge but I still have waaay too much crap. I have items for every outdoor activity imaginable but only about four pair of pants. I have a collection that is the largest of its kind in the world but I have woefully few personal bathroom products. Obviously my left side brain and right side brain have a difference of opinion.

Well, as a girl I love to shop, but I also love to get rid of things. I tend to give them away to family members, friends or to charity like the Salvation Army or a local church. However, when it comes to my books, being the book worm that I am, I cannot part with them.

@ Thrifty: Once, I read a book three times but it was one of those ones with multiple endings - "If you take the door on the left turn to page 64" ;-)My brother is a avid bookworm and his collection took over our parents house. He eventually sold most of them and just kept the collectors items (first edition etc) which are now worth quite a bit of lolly.

I re-read some of my books constantly (as in, every year or so, but I've got a thousand at least so it's not as bad as you think - or is it?). It's relaxing and it keeps me on the porch where I am allowed to smoke...

I always think of the 'there are no pockets in a shroud' depressing thing when I start collecting loads of crap again. I used to keep everything, but because I have moved house so much over the past few years....St Vincent de Paul does very well out of me!

I do still have ticket stubs from a Stones gig, from about 15 years ago, but thats just to remind me what it was like to go out before we had ankle biters...Xbox...you listening???